Blasthill

"Discovered an unrecorded (?) round cairn on the summit of Blasthill. It is much denuded and now appears merely as a turf covered mound 45 ft in diameter and 2'9" in height. A trig station has recently been erected on it."

Kenneth Steer (RCAHMS) Notebook (MS36/175), 17 May 1956.

Cairn, Blasthill.

On the highest point of the broken ground that lies between the farms of Blasthill and Macharioch, and about 145 m SE. of the chambered cairn NR70NW 1, there are the remains of a round cairn surmounted by an Ordnance Survey triangulation station. Standing at a height of 125 m O.D., it measures 13.5 m in diameter by 0.84 m in maximum height, and is almost completely covered by turf.

RCAHMS 1971, visited May 1965.

721091 cclxv & cclxviA (unnoted)

NR 71995 09003, NR 72002 09007, NR 72380 09395 In April/May a walkover survey of the Blasthill area was conducted and in August/September trial excavations were conducted to test some of the features noted.

Blasthill site 1 (NR 71995 09003) was identified as a possible hut circle and a trench 3x7m over the NW side of the wall was opened. The wall had facing slabs on both the inside and outside of the wall and was quite well preserved. Two scrapers (one badly burnt) were found in the topsoil. The interior of the hut circle was not excavated, nor the wall itself, but a small feature abutting the wall to the exterior was investigated. This appeared to be a poorly constructed bank, possibly a later addition to the site.

Close to the hut circle was a linear bank which was traced across Blasthill. It was suspected to be a prehistoric boundary and a single trench was opened trough it, 2 x 5m wide (Blasthill site 2 - NR 72002 09007). A single piece of flint was found in the topsoil. The bank was primarily earthern, with some large stones within it. It would have been about a metre high when originally constructed.

At Blasthill site 3 (NR 72380 09395) a 2 x 7m trench was opened over a sub-rectangular structure. This site produced a mix of post-medieval finds and prehistoric flint, and was also found in association with another field system. It is suggested that this was a small post-medieval dwelling (possibly temporary), which was constructed over a prehistoric boundary wall.

A series of small test pits over other possible features were opened. Blasthill sites 4-6 were natural features (bedrock), although Blasthill site 4, just 50m to S of Blasthill site 1, produced the tip of a flint knife. Blasthill site 7 was deturfed but not excavated. It was clearly the remains of the boundary wall close to Blasthill site 3.

A geophysical survey (resistivity) at the site of Macharioch was conducted where a structure had been found in 2006 (DES 2006, 44-45). The rest of the structure was not picked up using this method. A further survey was conducted to the S of this field where a scatter of burnt flints had been found. An anomaly was recorded and a test pit was opened, but it did not contain any archaeological features.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: British Academy, Prehistoric Society, University of Central Lancashire, Cardiff University

Vicki Cummings and Gary Robinson - University of Central Lancashire and University of Wales, Bangor

NR 71995 09003, NR 72002 09007, NR 72380 09395 Resistivity survey.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: British Academy, Prehistoric Society, University of Central Lancashire, Cardiff University

Vicki Cummings and Gary Robinson - University of Central Lancashire and University of Wales, Bangor

NR 72120 09180, NR 72350 09320, NR 75500 09300 and NR 72010 09130 In August 2008 two weeks of survey and excavation were conducted on Blasthill. A geophysical survey (resistivity and magnetic susceptibility) was carried out over a number of previously identified features.

The cairn on the summit of Blasthill (BH10) appeared to be a ring cairn and this was confirmed by trial excavation. Geophysics also identified a second possible ring cairn, next to the first, to the W of the summit of Blasthill (BH13). Trial excavation revealed this to be a natural feature.

A survey over another possible roundhouse on the E side of Blasthill (one was identified in 2007 on the W side of Blasthill)was also conducted. A trial trench was then opened over this feature (BH 12) but it seems unlikely this was a roundhouse. It may well be the remains of a stone quarry.

Due to severe waterlogging it was not possible to conduct geophysical survey over a kidney-shaped feature, which was suspected to be a burnt mound (BH11). However, a trial trench revealed that this was an amorphous feature constructed out of turf and a few large stones. It is remarkably similar in construction to the boundary wall which was excavated last year. The survey and excavation of the sites on Blasthill has furthered our understanding of the use of this area in prehistory.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: University of Central Lancashire

Vicki Cummings and Gary Robinson - University of Central Lancashire and University of Wales, Bangor

NR 72120 09180, NR 72350 09320, NR 75500 09300 and NR 72010 09130

Resistivity survey.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: University of Central Lancashire

Vicki Cummings and Gary Robinson - University of Central Lancashire and University of Wales, Bangor

NR 72120 09180, NR 72350 09320, NR 75500 09300 and NR 72010 09130

Magnetic susceptibility survey.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: University of Central Lancashire

Vicki Cummings and Gary Robinson - University of Central Lancashire and University of Wales, Bangor